MPs unhappy with strategy to curb accidents

The government has been urged to be more serious in finding solutions to increasing road accidents and that fixing tracking gadgets would not solve the menace.

The call was made by Rajab Mbarouk Mohamed, CUF MP -Ole when debating the budget estimates for Home Affairs Ministry, who accused the government and police of favouring a private company to fix the gadget in buses.

The MP said he was surprised by the Minister’s stress on fixing car tracking devices on upcountry buses, not knowing that it was not buses alone that were killing people.

He said the tracking device that is being fixed as a recording tool cannot by any means control the vehicle.

“Your officers have deceived you. They have failed to find solutions to accidents and instead have started doing business with the company,” he said.

He asked why police have not used the 2007 report published by the University of Dar es Salaam, which was submitted to the Surface and Marine Transport Authority (Sumatra) on measures to control road accidents.

“Today you are telling us that you shall reduce road accidents by 10 per cent. How?” he asked.

Kidawa Hamid Salehe, Special Seats CCM, called for stiffer penalties against drivers who drive while drunk.

Earlier, the Nyamagana MP, Ezekiah Wenje said accidents will not end if the government does not enable police financially.

“Let us see the actual situation inside the buses. Sometimes we need to take legal measures against passengers,’” he said, citing a passenger who fails to wear a safety belt, but under the current system it is the owner of the bus or driver who is charged.

This week a number of traffic accidents occurred in Morogoro, Nzega, and Kilimanjaro region, causing deaths to more than 30 innocent people.

Local press reported on July 28, 2011 that seven people were killed on the spot and fifteen others injured after being hit by a lorry loaded with rice at Posta area along Mahenge/Ifakara road in Kilombero district, Morogoro region.

In another accident, five people were killed and 18 others injured in an accident which occurred in Tabora on Monday involving a passenger bus plying between Urambo and Igunga districts in the region.

On Thursday, at least 20 people died on the spot after the bus they were traveling in, Safari Tchibo collided with a lorry that was loaded with onions in Kilimanjaro.

Meanwhile, Ilemela MP Highness Kiwia told the House that demonstrations that were being held by the party were just warm-ups and that actual demonstrations were underway to ensure second liberation for Tanzania.

Kiwia told the House that demonstration was in his blood, and that his victory as an MP for Ilemela was only secured after his people demonstrated, forcing the District executive director to announce the results while police were firing tear gas and live bullets.

Chadema Special Seats MP, Chiku Abwao said Minister Nahodha’s statement that demonstrations were contributing to poverty was wrong. “Our demonstrations are being supported by people of all ages in our country. The government should find out where it had gone wrong and correct things, instead of using security organs to stop them,” she said.